Pipe setting tool



A g- 1942; c. E. KNOX, JR 7 2,291,814

PIPE SETTING TOOL Filed Dec. 31, 1941 Pate-nted Aug. 4, 1942 I :UENiTE; JSTI" r *O'IFIFYICE PIPE SETTING TOOL ChatlesEJKnox, "Jn, Enid, Okla, assignor of one-half to Richard M. Knox, Enid,:kla.

9 Claims.

may be readily lowered and set in place without damage.

Another object of the invention is to provide a pipe setting tool which, while designed primarily to facilitate the placing of cement pipe sections, may be used for setting steel pipes'and is designed torelease the pipe from the lower edge with which it isconnected as that edge comes into position upon the top edgeof a .previously set pipe section so that the joining together of the pipe edges is accomplished without impact.

Another object of the invention is to provide a pipe setting tool which employs. spring arm carried supporting shoulders upon which the lower edge of a pipe section rests together with camming guides which engage in the top of a previously set pipe to shift the supporting shoulders inwardly for the release of the pipe carriedthereby, means being provided for holding said shoulders in for facilitating withdrawal of the tool.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed descrip-- tion taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, it being understood, however, that the invention is not to be considered as limited by the specific illustration or description but that such illustration and description constitute a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a view, partly in side elevation and partly in section, of a device constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a detailed view on an enlarged scale showing the automatic latching means between the bowed arms and the shaft.

Figure 3 is a transverse section taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing the numeral 10 generally designates the tool embodying the present invention. This tool comprises a shaft II of polygonal cross-section, preferably square, and of a substantial length, preferably of 'abouttwenty-five feet.

Adjacent the upper end of this shaft means is provided for the attachment of a supporting element, such means here being shown as being in the form of a socket I2.

the adjacent release arms.

tended through the shaft the' two latching pins 26 each of which passes through aslot' 25 adja- Disposed upon each of the four sides of the shaft "at the lower end thereof is a release arm which is indicated generally by the numeral I3. Each of these release arms comprises an elongated'flat bar or strip I4 of'sprin g steel which at its upper end has a portion I5 disposed flat against the side of the shaft to which-it is secured by a pair of pins I6. -From this flattened upper portion I5 each arm extends at a slight oblique angle downwardly and outwardly and at its lower end is slightly inwardly curved, as indicated at IT, and is disposed against the inner face of a shoe strip 18 to which it is secured by rivets I9. This shoe is of materially greater thickness than the spring strip I '4 to which it' is attached and itis held by the inwardly curved lower end of the strip so that its lower end bears against the tapered or -beveled 1ower=end face ZBof the shaft. Thus it-will-be seenthat each of the release arms'stan'ds-out or'a'way' from the adjacent face of the shaft, intermediate the ends of the arm.

The outer' face of the lower'end of each shoe is beveled, "as indicated'at 2I, and'adjacent' the upper end-of each shoe"the-outer face is shaped 'to'form the longitudinally curving outstanding shoulderf22 which'merges into a portion of increased thickness '-which 'forms the upper end of the shoe and which is indicatedby the numeral 23.

The upper end of the portion 23 of the shoe is cut square across "to formthe horizontal or transversely extending shoulder "24.

The body of the shaft is provided with thetwo transverse-and crossed or perpendicular slots/25, one adjacent to the other. These slots are opposite the widest space between the shaft and There is also excent the bottom thereof.

Upon the inner side of each release arm opposite an end of a slot 25 is secureda hinge casting 21 which has'the spaced ears'28which extend toward the shaftand which carry a pivot pin 29. Upon the pin"29 is pivotally mounted, at one end,

a release hook 30 whichhas' a tapered forward end 3| which extends into'a slot 25 across the latch pin therein. The under edge of this hook carries a notch32 toreceive the latch"pin'when the hook is'forced'inwardly by-the inward springend of'the shaft hasa threaded tap screw hole 35 and the bottom of the cap 33 has a screw opening 36 therethrough to receive a screw 31 by which the cap is secured to the end of the shaft.

The width of the socket 34 is greater than the width of the shaft and thus when the tapered end of the shaft is in the socket there is formed a guide recess 38 into which the beveled lower end portion of the adjacent shoe extends.

In the use of the present tool it is lowered or extended through the pipe section until the capped end extends beyond the lower end of the section together with the camming shoes l8. The transverse shoulders 24 of the shoes are engaged against the lower end edge of the pipe section and support the same as it is being lowered into the well hole.

As the capped lower end of the tool enters the top end of a previously set pipe section the shoes will bear against the top edge of the other pipe section and the release arms will be sprung inwardly. This will shift the shoulders from beneath the lower edge of the uppermost pipe as the ends of the two pipes come together and will release the uppermost pipe without allowing it to drop on the lower one. It will also shift the latching hooks inwardly over the pins 26 and the hooks will move or swing down into locking relation with the pins and hold the release arms against moving outwardly to their former positions.

In order to facilitate active movement of the release hooks a spring element may be secured to each release arm and bear against the top of the adjacent hook to urge it downwardly.

What is claimed is:

1. A pipe setting tool comprising an elongated body designed for extension through a pipe, resilient arms secured at one end to the body and biased to stand away from the body intermediate their ends, the arms engaging at their other ends against the body, means upon the outer sides of the arms forming supporting shoulders at the portions of the arms standing farthest from the body, and said arms being adapted at their other ends for extension into an end of a pipe and engaged thereby for effecting flexing of the arms inwardly toward the body, the arms the arms inwardly toward the body, a cap secured over the end of the body remote from the attached ends of the arms, said cap being spaced from the sides of the body to form bearing recesses in which the other ends of the arms slidably engage, and a latching means between the arms and the body which is made operative to secure the arms against outward movement after the arms have been flexed inwardly toward the body.

6. A pipe setting tool comprising an elongated body designed for extension through a pipe, elongated longitudinally bowed resilient arms each secured at one end to the side of the body to bow outwardly therefrom, said body at its lower end having tapered faces against each of which the other end of a bowed arm slidably engages, a guide cap over the said lower end of the body and thesaid other ends of the arms, means upon the outer side of each arm at the point of greatest distance from the body forming a pipe edge engaging shoulder, and said arms being formed below the shoulders to provide camming shoes adapted to enter and engage an end edge of a pipe to flex the arms inwardly to effect removal of the shoulders from engagement with the end of a pipe supported thereon.

7. A pipe setting tool as set forth in claim 6, including a latching means between each of the arms and the body which is so constructed and arranged as to secure the arms against outward being held at said other ends in sliding contact I with the body.

2. A pipe setting tool as set forth in claim 1, including latching elements carried by the arms and extending therefrom to the body for securing the flexed arms against outward movement.

3. A pipe setting tool as set forth in claim 1, wherein said arms at the other ends comprise relatively thick camming shoes for frictional engagement against the edge of a pipe into which the tool is extended while supporting a pipe upon said shoulders.

4. A pipe setting tool as set forth in claim 1, including a cap secured over the end of the body remote from the attached ends of the arms, said cap being spaced from the sides of the body to form bearing recesses in which the other ends of the arms slidably engage.

5. A pipe setting tool comprising an elongated body designed for extension through a pipe, re-

silient arms secured at one end to the body and biased to stand away from the body intermediate their ends, means upon the outer sides of the arms forming supporting shoulders at the portions of the arms standing farthest from the body, and said arms adjacent their other ends being adapted for extension into an end of a pipe to be engaged thereby for eifecting flexing of movement after the inward flexing of the same.

8. A pipe setting tool comprising a shaft of substantial length and polygonal cross-section, said shaft at one end having each of its faces beveled, a release arm disposed adjacent each face of the shaft to extend longitudinally thereof, each of said arms being longitudinally bowed outwardly from the-shaft and comprising an upper resilient portion secured at its upper end to the shaft and a lower relatively heavy shoe portion having sliding contact at its lower end against a beveled face, a guide cap secured over the beveled end of the shaft and enclosing the lower ends of said shoe portions, the upper end of each shoe portion forming upon the outer side of the arm a pipe edge engaging supporting shoulder, a latch finger pivotally secured to the inner side of each arm and extending into a recess in the shaft, a latch pin in each recess of the shaft for engagement by a latch finger when the bowed portion of the arm is flexed inwardly toward the shaft, and each of said shoe portions of the arms forming camming members for engagement with an edge of a pipe into which the tool is extended.-

9. A pipe setting tool comprising an elongated body designed for extension through a pipe, resilient arms extending lengthwise of the body and each secured at one end to the body, the other ends of the arms having sliding contact with the body and the arms between their ends being bowed outwardly, means upon the outer sides of the arms at the parts thereof standing farthest from the body forming supporting shoulders, a hook-like link member pivotally attached to the inner side of each arm, and means carried by the body over which each link member slides and with which the link member hooks when the arms are flexed inwardly to maintain the arms in such flexed position.

CHARLES E. KNOX, JR. 

